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a games table

04-04-2003, 06:14 AM

I'm going to build a small table for games, specifically. Probably out of a combination of Oak and Maple. I'm going to include a chess set I was given. I'm thinking I wanted to have the chess board top flush with the top of the table. I wanted to be able to flip out the chess to for a back gammon top. Is there any elegant way to flip it out? I really didn't want to have to turn the table upside down, and I didn't want to drill a hole to push a finger up through.

Comment

Think of the glass doors on intertainment centers. They have those magnetic cylinders that when you push them in, they latch inwards. Push them again, and they stick out. perhaps this would work. Put the top in, push it down and the cylinders in the corners latch it down flush. Push it again, and it sticks up enough for finger grabbing to flip over.

I have been asked to design a multi gaming table, and this is the track I'm leaning towards. Only there will be 4 reversable tops that slide in 3 sides, one always in top. And a drawer on the last side to hold all the game pieces. Chess, checkers, back gammon, chinese checkers, ect.

What I'm boggled on with mine is they want a bubble dice popper, like on the Trouble game for a couple of the game boards requested. Getting one is no problem, but where and how to work it into a 3/4" insert that fits into 1" space in the side of the table. The dice popper is over 2" tall. And how to affix it as it has to be removable for the above reason. I though velcro, but it's spongy base upset the popper performance.

Comment

Oak and Maple? I like both those woods, but would never have thought to use them together. The colors are close enough that it might look like you grabbed the wrong piece of wood. The surface textures are opposites. Note the adjacent sides on my sample box, contrasted with the stained walnut drawer. (The far sides of the sample box are natural walnut and cherry, but they are out of focus.)

Maple and Walnut are a common combination, since the colors are so different that nobody will think you made a mistake, and they can both be brought to a similar smooth finish. And of course there are countless other combinations.